1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming a structured fiber web on a paper machine, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus of forming a structured fiber web on a structured fabric in a paper machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wet molding process, a structured fabric in a Crescent Former configuration impresses a three dimensional surface on a web while the fibrous web is still wet. Such an invention is disclosed in International Publication No. WO 03/062528 A1. A suction box is disclosed for the purpose of shaping the fibrous web while wet to generate the three dimensional structure by removing air through the structural fabric. It is a physical displacement of portions of the fibrous web that leads to the three dimensional surface. Similar to the aforementioned method, a through air drying (TAD) technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,609. The TAD technique discloses how an already formed web is transferred and molded into an impression fabric. The transformation takes place on a web having a sheet solids level greater that 15%. This results in a low density pillow area in the fibrous web. These pillow areas are of a low basis weight since the already formed web is expanded to fill the valleys thereof. The impression of the fibrous web into a pattern, on an impression fabric, is carried out by passing a vacuum through the impression fabric to mold the fibrous web.
What is needed in the art is a method to produce a fibrous web with a high basis weight pillow area of low density to thereby increase the absorption and bulk characteristics of the finished fibrous web.